Becoming a Member

We would be delighted to hear from you if you wish to become a provisional member of the Corrymeela Community. The Corrymeela Community is a dispersed open Christian community made up of members, mostly in Northern Ireland, who are committed to reconciliation, relationships and hospitality.

The Corrymeela Community was begun in 1965 by Ray Davey who saw the need for an ecumenical Christian witness in a place where Christianity was fractured and divided. Since 1965, people in their ordinary lives have committed to meeting monthly, to participating in community weekends three times a year, to supporting the work of the residential centre in Ballycastle with time, finances and professional skills, to prayer, and, most importantly, relationships.

The Corrymeela Community has 170 members, of all ages, of all approaches to Christianity. Some are devout, some are sceptical, some wish to dwell on the edges of faith, others centre on the heart. For us, our witness is inspired by the Christian faith and is particularly attuned to the stories of the marginalised: those who have been exiled and excluded from faith.

Members commit to a number of things:

• Daily prayer (we have a small prayer book where we reflect on a text and pray for members)

• Monthly gatherings (home groups, monthly seminars, prayer times).

• Three community weekends per year (early January, late April, early October)

• Supporting the work of the Corrymeela residential centre in Ballycastle financially, with time and professional support. (We ask that all members give between £5 and £50 per month, depending on their means — these figures are not disclosed)

• Being a community presence at the Corrymeela centre.

• Being part of an open, inclusive Christian community committing to work for a society whose priorities are justice, mutual respect, the participation of all, concern for the vulnerable and the stranger, stewardship of resources, and the care for creation.

Nobody manages to get to everything, but we ask folks to make it to as many as is reasonable for their schedules. We are interested in Corrymeela forming a part of a person’s life, where they are supported and called and challenged on matters of reconciliation every day. While we have a few members outside the island of Ireland, because our commitment focuses on gathering together, and participation in the work at the Ballycastle centre, we are particularly interested in hearing from interested people from the island of Ireland. We have monthly house groups that meet in six locations: Belfast, Newtownabbey, Bangor, Ballycastle, Lisburn, South Down and Dublin. We also have monthly seminars and a short Taizé gathering in Belfast.

The Corrymeela Community is led by Pádraig Ó Tuama, who came into his role in late 2014. He’s a poet and theologian and leads regular retreats at home and abroad. Pádraig is interested in providing opportunities in Northern Ireland where people can explore the Christian witness — paying attention to texts, to stories of inclusion, to ways of being Christian together that bear witness to the painful past of Christianity, as well as the promise of a shared table. In particular, Pádraig brings leadership to Corrymeela gatherings, Corrymeela worship times, Corrymeela learning and the witness of Corrymeela in lectures and faith partnerships.

• January–December 2019: a provisional year of membership where you engage in a number of Corrymeela events to consider if membership is for you.

• For those who wish to become full members, they make this commitment (on a yearly basis) beginning in January 2020.

During the provisional year, we assign a person to accompany each provisional member and also have gatherings specifically to support and hear the experiences of provisional members. The gatherings for 2019 are:

• 23 Feb 2019 — a meal in Belfast at a community member’s home.

• 1 June 2019 – afternoon meeting (location TBC)

• 23–25 August 2019 — gathering at the work weekend at Corrymeela.

• 4–6 October 2019 — Community Weekend (mandatory for provisional members for 2019)

Corrymeela is people. We are young people, middle–aged and old people, we are people of doctrine and people of doubt. We engage with the differences of our world. We disagree with each other, and we seek to disagree agreeably. We know we’re part of the problems of the world. We work hard to be part of the solution. We are people of prayers and protest, curiosity and questioning, work and learning.

We are Corrymeela. And you are always welcome.

Corrymeela members are people of all ages and Christian traditions who, individually and together, are committed to the healing of social, religious and political divisions that exist in Northern Ireland and throughout the world. Our Community is a dispersed community of individuals from many walks of life and many approaches to faith and values who, in their daily lives, commit to the values and vocation of being a member of the Corrymeela Community – by this we mean incorporating commitment, practice and values into everyday life.

Full Details on Membership, Pastoral Care and the structure of the Community can be downloaded below.

Corrymeela is a Company Limited by Guarantee, registered in Northern Ireland No NI006823, registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC101597 and registered as a charity with HMRC Reference No XN48052A.